30 Incredible Gardening Tricks That Will Make Your Neighbors Jealous
30. Moss is the Boss
While mulch is usually the go-to source for garden coverage, moss is also an excellent choice! Not only does it provide attractive ground coverage, but the moss helps snuff out weeds by cutting off the roots’ oxygen supply. Pretty and effective, we think moss is a stunning way to give your garden personality.
29. Wine Bottles for Watering
If you’re looking for a way to water your plants without doing it daily, all you need to do is fill a wine bottle with water and stick it upside down in a pot. The water will slowly release over time and you’ll never have to worry about over or under watering again.
28. DIY Seed Tape
If you want a quick and inexpensive way to make your own seed tape, all you need is some toilet paper, water and flour. Make a paste with the flour and water (1 part flour, 3 parts water) and gently paint it onto the toilet paper. Next, space out the seeds on the paste, and then lay out the seedling tape in your garden beds. Easy, cheap and effective!
27. Protect from Frost
Cold snaps and overnight frosts can kill your plants in the blink of an eye. Thankfully, a milk jug can save you the pain from instant garden death. All you need to do is cut off the bottom of a milk jug and place it over your more fragile plants. The plastic will not only help regulate the temperature, but will keep your plants safe during the harshest of cold snaps.
26. Heart & Star Vegetables
Did you know you can mold your vegetables into different shapes? If you want heart-shaped tomatoes or even star-shaped ones, you can purchase kits that will grow your tomatoes and other fruits and veggies in neat shapes! Talk about creative gardening.
25. C-Clamps are a Win for Gardening Success
If you want to streamline your gardening needs, put a C-clamp on your ladder. This will hold all of the tools you need while your gardening, making them easily accessible. Remember, the faster you work, the better the garden will be!
24. DIY Fresh Basil
If you desire to grow your own herbs, there is no reason to buy them already potted. All you need to do is buy some fresh basil and soak the stems in water. You’ll begin to notice thin translucent roots begin to grow after a couple of weeks, which means they are safe to plant. Pretty neat, right?
23. Roses and Potatoes United!
Now this trick is pretty cool. If you want your own rose bushes, but can’t afford to buy one, all you need to do is buy a few individual roses and cut an inch off the stem. Next, dip the end in cinnamon and then place it inside a potato. Yep, you read that right, a simple potato! Finally, you just need to plant the potatoes and in a few months you’ll have your own rose bush!
22. Slope Your Garden for Proper Drainage
There’s nothing that will kill a garden faster than over-watering. Thankfully, if you slope your flower beds and garden spaces, it will create a natural drainage system that allows extra water to flow away from the roots. This way, you avoid root rot and your garden stays water and healthy 24/7!
21. Kiss Your Weeds Goodbye!
Weeds can be a real pain when it comes to gardening. Thankfully, there is a super simple solution: salt! Many times, chemical weed killers can not only kill the weeds, but your entire garden as well. Simply sprinkling salt on your weeds, will take them out quickly without running the risk of whacking your grandmother’s prized tomato plant! Who knew?
20. Sweeter Tomatoes
If you’re tired of tasteless tomatoes that are overly acidic and lack the punch you crave, this hack will easily save the day. All you need to do is sprinkle baking soda over the tomato seeds when you plant them. After they flourish and produce fruit, you’ll have the sweetest and juiciest tomatoes on the block. We promise!
19. Biodegradable Planters
This neat trick is a great way to reuse your toilet paper rolls and allows you to make small biodegradable planters for your seedlings. You can even plant the seedlings, in the planters, straight into your garden and they will break down over time; no worrying that you’re expanding your carbon footprint here!
18. Salt Deposit Removal
Most expert gardeners know that salt deposits can be a real boon to remove from clay pots. Thankfully, there is a simple solution you can make from vinegar, rubbing alcohol and water. Mix it together in a spray bottle, then apply it to your pots and scrub. The salt deposits will easily wipe off and you can get to replanting in no time.
17. Dirty Fingernails No More
Gardening can be a dirty job at times, and getting the dirt out from under your fingernails can be a real chore. However, this hack is sure to save you the frustration. Simply dig your nails into a bar of soap prior to gardening and wash your hands when you’re done. The soap will act as a barrier so the dirt won’t accumulate under the nails.
16. Stone Garden Markers
Starting a garden from scratch can sometimes be confusing if you don’t remember what you planted and where you planted it; therefore, making your own garden markers can be essential to your sanity. Simply take some stones, grab a sharpie, and get creative. This way, you can label your seedlings in style and not mix up the basil plant with the tomato vines.
15. Soak Seeds
If you want your seeds to take root and grow strong, we suggest soaking them in warm water for 24 hours. The water works as a catalyst for sprouting quickly; so when you plant the seeds, the roots take hold faster. Neat, right?
14. DIY Cleaning/Sharpening Garden Tool Holder
By keeping your gardening tools in a pot of abrasive sand you’ll be sure that they’ll always be sharp as well as rust-free, thanks to the sand’s natural oils. Simple and effective, this little hack will keep your tools sharp at all times.
13. Enriching Soil Pest Prevention
Did you know you can use coffee grounds to prevent pests from taking over your garden? Simply sprinkle them on top of the soil and you’ll never have to worry about aphids destroying your tomato plants. The coffee also helps enrich the soil too, so it’s a win/win situation. Time to get brewing!
12. Simple Herb Garden
Many people buy their herbs at the grocery store, but it’s actually cheaper to have your own herb garden at home. Plus, they are super simple to start and maintain. Just purchase an old wooden box you might find at a flea market, fill it with soil, and plant your herbs. Boom! It’s that easy. Now you can grow your own seasonings year-round.
11. Diapers for Moisture
Your potted plants will thank you for this one. If you want to maintain adequate moisture levels in your clay plots and not worry about root rot, simply place diapers, absorbent-side-up, at the bottom of the pots, before adding the soil. Your plants will stay hydrated and you’ll never have to worry about over-watering again.
10. DIY Bird Bath
This is a seriously simple way to make a birth bath without any hassle. If you happen to have a tree stump in your yard, simply place a clay bowl or tray on top of it. Next, weigh it down with a heavy object, such as a rock, and fill it up with water. Done! That’s it. This bird bath will bring all the flock to your yard! Be sure to also get tree care Austin for your garden projects.
9. Quick Watering Can
A milk jug can make for a quick makeshift watering can, and what an excellent way to recycle your old milk jugs. Simply poke holes in the lid of the cap, fill the jug with water, and you’re good to go. Now, you never have to purchase a watering can again… Unless, you don’t drink milk–then, we can’t help you.
8. Mounted Boot Garden
Do you have old rubber boots lying around–Yes? Well, now you can re-purpose them into a wonderful hanging garden! Simply paint the boots a color you prefer, mount them on a fence, fill them with soil, and plant your favorite flowers. Easy and elegant!
7. Photo Album Seed Organizer
Keeping all of your seeds organized can be a real pain, especially if you have collected an extensive variety over the years. Thankfully, we have a simple solution: a photo album. You can keep all of your seed packets protected in the sleeves, and you’ll always have them when you need them. We told you we were gardening hack geniuses, right?
6. Reuse Egg Shells
Don’t throw away your egg shells if you have a garden! Wash them off and crush them up, and then sprinkle the shells around the roots of your plants. Not only will this keep pests at bay, but when the egg shells breakdown they will enrich the soil with calcium.
5. Lemon Rind Seedlings
If you want to start your seedlings in their own biodegradable pot that actually enriches the soil as they grow, use a lemon rind! Simply cut the lemon in half, scoop out the center, and fill it with soil–you are good to go. Aren’t they cute?!
4. Grow Onions Quickly
Did you know that most fruits and vegetables can be replanted? A Green onion is a great example of a vegetable you can grow without using any seeds. All you need to do is cut off the bottom of the onions and soak them in water; within days, they will begin to sprout! How awesome is that? For more tips on fruit trees and plants click here.
3. T-Shirt Ties
Tomato plants need to be tied to sticks when they start growing, in order to keep them straight; and what better way to make rope than by cutting up your old t-shirts? Simple and effective is the way we like our gardening. Plus, anything we don’t have to purchase is a bonus.
2. Freeze Herbs for Freshness
Keeping herbs fresh for cooking has never been easier. All you need to do is harvest the herbs from your garden, dice them up, and place the herbs in ice cube trays. Next, fill the trays with water or olive oil, and freeze. It really is easy as that.
1. Leftover Beer Slug Killer
Now this one may have you scratching your head, but we promise this will be a garden-saver! When it comes to gardening, slugs are the bane of every gardener’s existence. Why? They devour plants. Thankfully, there is an easy solution to destroying them–a dish of beer. Simply place the beer in your garden and the next morning you should find a bowl full of very dead (or very sedated) slugs. You can also checkout Lincoln gardening service by tree experts to help you with your tree needs.